The Rose Killer
by victoriarty
Summary: Broadchurch AU - A murdered little girl and a rose remind DI Alec Hardy of his first case which he never solved...
1. Chapter 1

**_Note: English is not my native language! It could be that there are some grammatical mistakes. I'm sorry for that._**

* * *

><p>"Daddy, when is mommy coming home?"<p>

"She's working overtime, honey. Don't you remember? We've talked about that already," DI Alec Hardy answered. He pointed at the half full plate of his daughter. "Come on, eat your vegetables too."

"Aye-aye, sir," Kate said and put a little carrot in her mouth. Alec looked at the five-year-old. His daughter is the best thing that happened to him in his entire life. He would do anything for her. He would give his life for her.

Alec looked at his wristwatch. It's half past eight already. He sighed and looked at Kate, who's still occupied in eating her vegetables.

"Could you please hurry up a bit, honey?" he asked her. "I still have to do so much tonight."

"What do you have to do?" Kate wanted to know.

"I have to write a big report about a solved case," he answered.

"Okay," Kate said. She's easily satisfied. She put the last carrot in her mouth. "I'm finished daddy!" she shouted.

"Okay, okay," Alec said. "Could you please talk a little bit quieter?"

"Sure, dad," she whispered.

"Good, and now it's time for bed."

"But daddy, I can't go to bed now!"

"Why, honey?"

"I can't go to bed without telling mommy goodnight," Kate complained.

"I bet you can," Alec said. "You did it before, didn't you? Last time you didn't complained."

"No I..."

"Yes, yes you did. And now go upstairs and get ready. I will come and give you a good night kiss in five minutes.

* * *

><p>"Why are you awake?"<p>

"I can't sleep."

"Why?"

"Because I'm thinking about you." He turned his head and looked at her. "I want to spend every day, every hour and every minute for the rest of my life with you," he whispered in her ear with a raw voice.

Elizabeth turned around to look in the eyes of her love of life. "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She gave him a tender kiss on the lips. "But you know that this is not going to happen because I have a little daughter and a husband that loves me too."

"But you just said that you want to spend the rest of your life..."

"...with you, yes, I know," she interrupted him. "But you know that it's not that easy. Alec doesnt't even know that you exist in my life."

"You have to tell him about me. Maybe he will understand our love."

She stared at George disbelievingly. "You're not serious, are you? The only one he loves more than me is our daughter."

George stroked her cheek. "But you love me more than him. So why don't you just tell him the truth finally?"

"Because I don't want to hurt him! He's the father of my daughter and he is my husband. If I tell him that I don't want to live with him anymore and that I want a divorce... I don't even want to imagine what this would do to him!"

He cupped her face in his hands and looked her deep in the eyes. "You need to start thinking about yourself! Why do you always want to please everyone except yourself? This is not a way to live! Think about yourself. What do YOU want?"

Elizabeth stared at him. Wow, nobody has talked to me like this before, she thought. She didn't now how to answer because she didn't exactly know what she wanted. On the one hand she wanted to share the rest of her life with George. He was her love of life. He understood her. He always knew exactly what she needed. He gave her the feeling that she's not alone. He was the one she wanted to grow old with. But on the other hand she didn't want to leave Alec because of Kate. Kate needed both of her parents. As a nurse she often heard about children whos parents are divorced. They often become mentally ill. Kate shouldn't suffer from this. Kate shouldn't be torn out of the happy family life she grew up in.

"Um... I don't know what... um... what I want." She finally managed to answer.

"But I think that I know what you want, love. You want to live with me. You want to start a family with me."

Elizabeth didn't answer. Yes, that's exactly what I want, she thougt. But what about Alec and Kate...

"We can't go on like this forever." George stated.

"Yeah, I know, I know... but we will find a solution for this problem, I promise." Elizabeth smiled at her love.

George looked at his love. She seemed to be very stressed out about this situation. He needed to cheer her up a bit. "Okay, but while we're trying to find a solution I want you to take some time off and go on a trip with me." he said. He actually wanted to tell her this tonight at a romantic candle dinner, but it seemed to be the right time now.

"What? Why... a trip? Whereto?" This took her by surprise. A trip? She hadn't been on a trip for at least five years so this sounds very tempting.

"Yes, a trip to Paris, the city of love." He gave her a seductive look. "It's all organised. I called your boss at the hospital. She gives you a week off. So yeah. You're going on a trip with me."

Elizabeth was overwhelmed. She always wanted to go to Paris. She was already picturing all the beautiful sights of Paris which she only know from books and photos to herself when another thought came to her mind. "And what about Kate and Alec?"

Geoge also thought about this. "I think that Alec can take care of Kate for a week. I mean, he's a police man, right? They never have much to do."

* * *

><p>*ring ring ring*<p>

Alec sat up. He looked around and realised that he fell asleep over his computer. It seemed that he fell asleep while working on his report.

He fumbled for his phone, still half asleep. It was his Chief, Martin Anderson. Alec sighed. This was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. But he answered the call anyway.

"Yes?" he asked tiredly.

"Good morning Alec!" the Chief said loudly. Morning? Alec looked at his wristwatch. It was half past three in the morning. How can you wish someone a good morning with such a happy voice at such time?

"What is it Chief?" Alec grunted in the phone.

"I have a case for you," Chief Andersons voice suddenly sounded very serious.

"A new case? Now?"

"Yes, a new case, now. It's very important and I want you to work at it. I think that you're the best man for this job."

"Okay, okay, I got it. So what's the case?"

"The Rose Killer is back."

Alec congealed as he heard these words. He remembered this name. The Rose Killer was the name the newspaper gave a serial killer who killed five girls ten years ago. He sighed. It was his first case and also the only one he never solved.

Chief Anderson continued "5-year-old Louise Tallis was found dead at the St.-Michaels-Park an hour ago today after being reported missing a few weeks ago. And guess what she had in her hand?"

Alec shuddered. "A rose," he answered with a hoarse voice.

"Exactly. I expect you to be here as fast as you can. I want you to see the corpse before they take it to the forensics." Chief Anderson ended the call without any further words. Alec sat there with the phone in his hands a few more moments. Shocked. So many questions were floating in his head that moment. Why did he murder again? Why now? Why always little girls? How can someone even be that cruel? But then a new thought came to his mind. The Rose Murder never kidnapped the girls and waited a few weeks before killing them. He always did it within a few hours. Alec remembered all the facts they had back then exactly. He knew that the murderer was a man aged 35-50 who presumably lived in this city his whole life. He has murdered five four to five year old girls within a period of three months. And the procedure was always the same: The murderer kidnapped the girls when they were unattended. Common places for this were parks, playgrounds or even carparks in front of supermarkets. Then he killed them by drowning. After that he deposited them near the places where he kidnapped them. After that he depositet them near the places where he had kidnapped them. And the most conspicious thing about this case were the red roses in the hands of the girls. But all these facts were not enough to catch the murderer or at least to identify him. So he was still at large.

Alec let out a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. He needed a sedative tablet after these terrible news. But then the stack of newspapers next to the dustbin caught his eye. He picked up the first paper on the stack. The headline said "Where are our girls?" Below it there was a picture of two families holding photos of their missing daughters up. Alec held his breath as he read the names of the parents. Lisa and Herbert Jackson and Mary and Lewis Tallis. Tallis. That's the name of the girl found at the park. Alec flicked through the newspaper. There it was. A big report about five families whos daughters went missing in the last few weeks. Alec skimmed the text briefly. Every family said pretty much the same. That their girl suddenly disappeared when she was playing at the playground or at the park. Alec shuddered when he read the last sentence of this report. "Please bring our girls back home." He shut the newspaper. The entire situation is so untypical for the Rose Killer. He never kept the girls for such a long time. And he also never kidnapped more than one at one stroke.

Suddenly another thought which he didn't had ten years ago came to his mind. He now has a little daughter who had just turned five. He threw the newspaper on the kitchen counter and ran upstairs to assure himself that his beloved daughter is still sleeping in her room. Luckily she still was. Alec kneeled down next to her bed and stroked Kates dark-brown hair. He really must drive to the crime scene now, but on his way to Kates room he noticed that Elizabeth still isn't home. So who's going to take care off Kate till he's back? He can't take her with him. Crime scenes with murdered little girls are definitely not the right place for Kate. But what should he do?

"Come on, Kate, wake up." He gripped her shoulder and shook it softly. "I have to work now and you have to come with me."

Alec tried to wake her up once more, but she had such a deep sleep that it was impossible to wake her up. So he wrapped her in her blanket and carried her to his car. He sat her in her children's seat and fastened the seatbelt without waking her up. Then he got in the car too. The drive to the park only took about five minutes.

After Alec parked the car he looked back at the back-seat to assure himself that Kate's still asleep which she was. Then he got out of the car, locked it and went to his collegues, unsure about what he's going to see.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I don't have any medical education so at this point I'm sorry for possible nonsense. :)**

* * *

><p>"Ah, you finally made it to the crime scene. I almost wanted to report you missing," Chief Anderson welcomed Alec with a big smile on his face. Alec stopped in front of his Chief and looked at him with the grimmest face he could do. Then he shook his head scornfully and passed by without saying anything. He never understood how someone can make such bad jokes and be so full with sarcasm when being confronted with such a cruel case as his Chief can.<p>

The closer Alec came to the victim, the more policemen, forensics, photographers and even journalists blocked his way to the corpse. Journalists! Alec hated Journalists to the core. Journalists hampered his investigations already ten years ago. He won't let them do this again.

"Everyone who doesn't have anything to do with this case should leave the crime scene immediately!" he shouted. No one reacted. Alec repeated this sentence, this time louder. Finally someone turned around.

"Ah, DI Hardy! Can I ask you some questions please..."

"No! I am not going to answer any of your questions! I want you all to leave right now!" Alec was getting really upset.

"Well I was just asking a question, Sir," the Journalist said harshly. Then he left and with him the other Journalists who blocked the view. Now Alec could have a look at little Louise Tallis. She looked like a sleeping angel with her delicate face and the long blonde curls. She was wearing the same clothes as she was when she went missing: Pink shoes, blue jeans shorts, a white shirt and a white knitted jacket. And, of course, the most conspicious thing: The red rose in her hands. Alec kneeled down next to the girl to look at her more precisely. She didn't seem to have any external injuries. If I didn't know she's dead, I would think that she's only sleeping, Alec thought. He stood up and walked to the forensics doctor, who was taking down some notes.

"Hello Donald, what can you tell me about the victim?" Alec asked, although he knew that there won't be any new information for him as the procedure is most likely to be the same as ten years ago.

"Oh, hello Alec, good to see you here. Finally someone who's serious about this case." Dr Donald Abraham welcomed the Detective. Alec gave him a look. Obviously this was an allousion on the dubious way to work of Chief Anderson.

"The victim is Louise Tallis. She's five years old and lived in the city with her parents," Dr Abraham began to tell.

"Yes, I know. They wrote about her family in the newspaper last week," Alec interposed. Dr Abraham gave him a severe look. "Um... well... how did she die?" Alec asked. He was totally aware that the Doctor doesn't like interruptions.

The Doctor looked back at the corpse. "At first glance there are no obvious injuries. But look at her eyes..." He kneeled down next to the girl, signing Alec to do the same. "Look. Bloodshot eyes." He opened on of the girl's eyes to show Alec the red eyes.

"She's been suffocated," Alec determined.

"Yes, no doubt about that," the Doctor agreed. Alec looked at the clothes of the girl. They seemed to be completely dry.

"Can you already say how long she's been dead?" Alec wanted to know. The Rose Killer murdered his victims by drowning them. So actually the clothes of this girl should be wet. The contrary is the case.

"By her body-temperatur I'd say she's been dead for five hours now," Dr Abraham said. "But that's only an assumption. I have to examine her before I can give you the exact facts about her death."

"Okay, I understand," Alec said. "Oh and before I forget: Please keep the rose! I want to have a look at it."

"Of course. I will put both the rose and the full report on your desk after I'm finished with it."

"Good, thanks!" Alec took a last look at the victim, turned around and walked a few steps. Five hours. That's enough time to dry her clothes and also her hair. It seemed that the Rose Killer still followed his old procedure. Another thought crossed his mind: What about the person who found the girl? Alec walked to a young police officer.

"Hey you! What's your name?" Alec asked.

"I'm Sergeant Daniel Manning, Sir." Alec observed the young Sergeant. He had never seen him before. Must be new here.

"Hello Sergeant. Can you tell me who found the victim?"

"Yes, of course I can. It's the young man over there." The Sergeant pointed to a man who was sitting on a bench under a big oak. "His name is Julian Lucas. He was walking his dog here. The dog was also the one who alerted him."

Alec thanked and walked towards the park bench where Julian Lucas was waiting. A police officer told him not to leave this bench until he gives his permission. Alec sat down next to him.

"Hello. "I'm DI Alec Hardy and I'm the conducting Detective in this case. So you found the girl?"

"Yes, indeed." Alec surveyed the man. He looked very young, 18, maybe 19 years old. He made a shy impression on Alec.

"Why were you here at night? I mean even parks have closing hours and as far as I know this park is not allowed to be visited between eleven in the evening and six in the morning. So what were you doing here?"

Julian stared at the Detective. He didn't know that. "I... I was walking my dog like I do every night."

"Why at night?" Alec wanted to know. "Isn't it an unusual time to walk a dog?"

"Yes, I know, but I prefer to walk him at night because there isn't anyone out here." Julian looked at the Detective. "I love being alone here in the dark," he said with a quiet almost creepy voice.

"Um... okay." Alec was confused by that eerie reaction of the young man. "So... err... how did you find the corpse?"

"Actually Rico found the girl. My dog," Julian explained as he saw Alecs questioning look. "Usually he's such a obedient dog but tonight he just wasn't himself. He was unsettled and even barked once. This was so not him! And then he ran behind that bush over there and barked even louder than before. Of course I ran to him immediately and there she was. I instantly knew that she was dead. She looked so peaceful..." Julian looked down on his feet, suddenly he seemed to be deep in thought.

Alec put his hand on Julian's shoulder. "Julian? What happened then?" he sprang him from his thoughts.

"Um, yes, sorry." Julian looked up. "Then... then I called the police. That's it. Since then I've been waiting here." he completed his story.

"Thank you." Alec stood up. "Please don't leave the city without our permission in case we have some further questions."

"Okay. I rarely leave the city anyway," Julian explained.

"Good." Alec walked a few steps away from the bench without saying goodbye. He looked around. Seems that my work here is done for now, he thought. He went towards his car.

"Hey Alec!"

The DI stopped and turned around. What he saw was Chief Anderson running after him.

"What is it, Chief?" Alec asked.

The Chief stopped next to Alec. He was completely out of breath. I always tell you to do more sports, Alec thought.

"And? What do you think? Was it the Rose Killer?" The Chief asked in a croaky voice.

"All signs point to him. The age of the girl, where she was found, and even the rose in her hand. That's exactly how the Rose Killer did it." Alec sighed. "But I still have doubts. What if it's a copycat killer?"

"Then we will find out. At the moment we just give our best. We will find the killer. Whether it is the Rose Killer or a copycat."

They both walked a few steps side by side without saying anything when Alec suddenly stpped. His heart stood still for a second. Then it began to race.

"Kate," he whispered.

* * *

><p>"Hello Alec? I couldn't get you on the phone so I'm speaking on your mobile mailbox now. I just wanted to tell you that I need a break. I'm at home noe, but only for packing some stuff together. I'm going to vacation for a week so I want you to take care of Kate. Please tell her that I love her. Thank you! See you!" Elizabeth hang up. She looked at George. "I'm wondering where he and Kate are..." She looked at the clock. It's six in the morning.<p>

"Maybe he brought her to the kindergarten earlier today," she considered. George just shrugged. He actually didn't care about that. He just wanted to fly to Paris with his love finally.

"Come on, love, let's go." George urged.

Elizabeth cast a last glance at the living room and then they left the house together and got in the car.

"What do you tell Alec when you stay overnight at my place? Doesn't he ask you where you've been?" George asked while he was searching his pockets for the car keys.

"I always tell him that I work overtime or night shifts at the hospital," Elizabeth answered.

"And he believes you?"

"Yes. Well I think so. At least he never asks any questions about that so..."

"But why don't you finally tell him about us? About our relationship?" George wanted to know. He just can't understand why this was such a problem for Elizabeth.

"Because I don't want to hurt him, that's why," Elizabeth answered. "We have already talked about that, don't you remember? I don't want to tear our family apart."

"Families split up everyday, love. That's not that big problem anymore. We live in modern times," George said.

"But it's different with us. Alec loves me so much. And he loves Kate. He loves our family. He wouldn't be able to live without me," Elizabeth said. "And of course I would take Kate with me. She's my baby. It would break him not to have her around him everyday. He loves her so much." She looked at George. "He would give his life for her."

"But isn't that something every parent would do?" George said. To him all her excuses sounded very feeble. "Listen to me," he said. "I'm telling you this again now: You need to stop doing what's best for Alec. You have to think about what's best for you!"

Silence.

"Okay. You are right... you are always right. We can't go on like this forever," Elizabeth broke the silence. She sighed. "I will tell him," she finally gave in. She was sick of arguing with George about this issue. "But I want to wait until we're back from Paris."

"Well then," George said as he started the car. He was glad that she finally indulged. That's everything he ever wanted. A life with the woman of his life.

"Bonjour Paris!"


	3. Chapter 3

_"_We're approaching Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in ten minutes. Please return to you seats and fasten the seatbelts."

Elizabeth opened her eyes. She looked at George, who was still sleeping on his seat next to her. She poked him in the ribs.

"Wake up George, we're landing."

Still half asleep he fastened his seatbelt and then fell asleep again. Elizabeth looked at him and smiled. Sometimes he could be like a child.

_Child_.

She thought of Kate. She can't wait to hold her baby in her arms again. For a second she felt a twitch in her chest. But then she thought about Alec. He's such a good father. Nothing will happen to Kate as long as Alec is taking care of her. With this thought in mind she can enjoy her vacation with George in the city of love.

* * *

><p>"Alec? Can you hear me?" The police chief was standing in front of the detective who was sitting in the interrogation room of the local police station. Alec didn't react on the question. The last few hours were like in a frenzy for him. He didn't even remember how he came into this room. His head was emtpy except one thought.<p>

Kate is gone.

Kidnapped.

Probably at a place where he, her own father, couldn't protect her.

These thoughts are unbearable for him. How could this happen?

"Come on Alec. You have to speak ot me now," Chief Anderson tried it once more.

"The only thing I have to do right now is to find my daughter!" Alec shouted angrily. "Don't you understand? She's my everything! I need to find her! I just..." Alec's voice broke. He took a deep breath and looked up for the first time since he's sitting here. What he saw was the face of his Chief. He was visibly surprised about Alec's sudden outburst. He didn't see that coming. The Chief sat down next to Alec and laid his hand on his shoulder.

"I can totally understand you, Alec. But you know the system. You can't help us with our investigations as you're an immediate relative of..."

"What do you mean I can't help you? I am her father! It is my fault that she's gone! Do you understand? It is all my fault!" Alec was on the verge of tears. The feelings of guilt were killing him.

"Please Alec. You know that you can always call me. I will keep you up to date. But now I want you to leave. Go home, take some days off," Chief Anderson told the detective. Alec didn't react. He was staring on the floor again. He didn't want to take some days off. He wanted his daughter back. At any price.

Alec stood up and took a deep breath. He turned around and strode away. He didn't say anything to his Chief. He didn't even look at him.

"I will keep you up to date!" he heard his Chief shouting.

* * *

><p>Alec Hardy closed the door behind him. It was a bizzare atmosphere in the house. No one was talking or laughing. No one was crying because the favourite toy went missing. No one was standing in the kitchen. No one was sitting in the living room. There was just daunting emptiness.<p>

The detective leaned against the wall next to the front door for a few seconds, but then his entire body suddenly got weak. The legs gave in and he slid down the wall. He trembled in every limb. This was all too much for him.

"Why my daughter?" he said to himself quietly. Then he couldn't hold it anymore. He just burst into tears.

There he was. The usually self-confident detective Alec Hardy. Huddling on the floor like a picture of misery. Crying like a baby.

After about ten minutes the tears suddenly stopped. It was like they decided not to stream down Alec's cheeks anymore.

_What am I even doing here?,_ the detective thought. _I should be out there looking for Kate! I don't help her by lying on the floor._

Alec stood up, wiped his tears away and shook his limbs. He noticed that he definitely needed sleep. Or a strong coffee. He chose the second opportunity. As he waited in the kitchen for his coffee to get ready he checked the mail box on his mobile. Three new messages. Two of them were from Chief Anderson, who repeated the things he already told Alec at the police. He shook his head. Although the Chief's just being a kind of caring he can be really annoying. Alec pressed the button to listen to the last message. His mobile slid out of his hand when he heard who was speaking there. It was Eizabeth. His wife. The mother of Kate. He totally forgot about her! He was so concerned about Kate that he forgot about his own wife. He didn't even thought about where she has been all night and day, and he didn't thought about telling her what's going on!

Alec suddenly got throbbing headache. It was like his brain started to burn. He slowly bent down to pick his mobile up.

"...tell her that I love her. Thank you! See you!"

_What the hell did happen? Where is she?,_ Alec thought. He pressed a button on his mobile to listen to the message again.

Akec wasn't able to do anything after he listened to the message. He ignored that the coffee machine was beeping. He ignored the electronic voice who constantly told him which buttons he had to press. He even ignored his pounding head. He just felt an odd mix of sadness and rage inside himself.

How should he survive all of this?

* * *

><p>Someone knocked at the door.<p>

"Yes?"

The door opened. In came Dr Donald Abraham, the forensic doctor.

"Ah, hello Donald. I was expecting you!" Chief Martin Anderson said. "And? What can you say about Louise Tallis?"

Dr Abraham was irritated about the Chief's cheerful welcome. Deaths of little girls and the disappearing of the daughter of his best detective were definitely not things to be that easygoing about. He frowned and decided to ignore the Chief's inappropriate good mood.

"Here's the full autopsy report of the girl and the rose which she held in her hands," the Doctor put both the report and the rose on the Chief's desk. "The autopsy proved it: Louise Tallis was definitely killed by The Rose Killer or by someone who exactly knows how the killer proceeded. There was water in her lungs. She died by drowning. I also found pressure marks on her neck. Therefore I would say that her head was pressed underwater forcibly." He sighed. Although he had been a forensic doctor for almost 30 years now murder victims still didn't leave him cold. "The water in her lungs was normal mains water, so I would say that she was killed in a bathtub or a washbasin. Open the report on page two."

The Chief did as he was told. On this page were six photos. They all showed roughly the same scene. Little girls in beautiful clothes lying on green grass with roses in their hands. They all looked like sleeping angels. But they're not. They all were brutally murdered.

Chief Anderson closed the report. He couldn't look at these photos any longer. They remind him of his own little granddaughter which turned five a month ago.

"Did you find anything else on the body? For example foreign DNA?" he asked.

"No, unfortunately no DNA," Doctor Abraham answered. "But there was another thing I noticed. She was completely healthy. There are no signs of abuse, except the pressure marks on her neck, and she also had enough to eat over the last weeks. She looked neat. So the kidnapper took good care of her before he murdered her." He looked at the Chief. "That's all for now."

"Okay, thank you Donald," the Chief said.

Doctor Abraham was just about to leave the office, when he stopped and turned around. "Oh, what I also wanted to ask you: Is there anything new in the Kate Hardy case?"

"Nothing new. I have sent out all the policemen and track hounds I was able to spare but still no trace of Kate." He lowered his voice a bit. "I hope she just ran away and we'll find her unscathed as soon as possible. Alec wouldn't survive it if anything happened to her."

Doctor Abraham nodded. He also thought about this. Without any response on what the Chief just said he turned around and walked out of the office.

* * *

><p>"Where is my daughter? Do you hear me? Give me Kate!" Alec shouted from the top of his lungs. "Give me -" His voice broke. He was exhausted, his body weak and parched. He didn't eat and drink for days. The detective groaned with pain as he tried to get himself in a more comfortable position. He looked at his wrists. Dried blood was all over his hands and the handcuffs on his wrists. <em>No wonder,<em> he thought. _I shouldn't have tried to get myself free by tearing. I am a bloody police officer, I should knew that this is impossible._

His thoughts were disturbed by the scream of a high-pitched voice.

"Kate!" Alec cried again. He saw a shadow coming out of the dark. "Kate?" he asked a bit less noisy.

"I am not Kate," the shadow said with a deep voice. He sounded amused. He was standing in front of Alec now. Alec could see that the shadow was a big, muscular man with an operation mask on his face. Although he couldn't see the man's face Alec had no doubt that he was grinning under his mask.

"Where the hell is she," Alec managed to say.

"You want to see her? You can see her!" the man said furiously. With a quick move he dragged a little girl who was hiding behind is back and brutally nudged her in front of Alec.

"Kate, darling," the weary father said quietly as he saw his visibly scared daughter and her dirty clothes. "What did they do to you..." The girl didn't seem to notice him. She was just gazing in abstraction. He tried to reach for his daughter, but again the handcuffs hindered him. The big man went behind Alec and violently gripped his hair and tugged him next to his face.

"I will definitely kill you both tonight. I just don't know in what order," he whispered in his victims ear. Alec cringed. "I think I will start with you. Grown men are not as much fun to kill as little girls." He chuckled. "I'm saving the fun for later." The man let go of Alec who was not able to say anything in response. He felt faint. The man stood up and went to Kate. He gripped her arm and pulled her up. Alec looked at them as they left the room.

"Kate...," he breathed. He wasn't able to say more than this. He wasn't able to protest. He didn't even try to put up some resistance when the man unlocked his handcuffs, violently pulled him up and led im into a small room with a bathtub filled with water.

"Kneel down," the man commanded. As Alec didn't follow his orders instantly, the man hit him in the popliteal. Groaning he kneeled down.

"Any last words?" the man asked. He didn't wait for Alec's answer. He pressed his victims head underwater. Alec tried to fight, but his weak and exhausted body had no chance. The man was too strong.

After a minute Alec gave up.

He saw his entire life in his mind's eye. He saw himself as a baby being born to wonderful parents. He saw himself growing up on a farm in Scotland. He saw himself going to school. He saw himself as a young policie officer who wanted to guard the ones who need protection. He saw himself marrying his beautiful wife. He saw himself holding his daughter in his arms for the first time. He saw his daughter going her first steps in life. And eventually he saw himself dying.

_This is the end, _he thought._ This is my end._

* * *

><p><strong><em>So this was the third chapter (but definitely not the last chapter!)! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!<em>**


	4. Chapter 4

"Chief!" Sergeant Daniel Manning came rushing into Chief Anderson's office. He seemed to be very upset.

"Can't you knock before storming my office?" the Chief said with an undertone of sarcasm in his voice. The Sergeant ignored his Chiefs words and came straight to the point.

"Two pedestrians found DI Hardy in the park! They first thought he's dead, but luckily he was alive, even though unconscious."

The Chief stared at the young police officer. He was clearly shocked.

"They brought him to the hospital. His current state is critical but stable," Manning continued.

"But why... what did happen to him? Was he assaulted?" Chief Anderson asked, although he knew that it will be the job of the police to find this out.

"We don't know anything yet. We don't know how he got there and we don't know what happened before that. The forensics are already in the park to ascertain possible evidence."

"Fine." Chief Anderson stood up and took his jacket. "I'm driving to the hospital now. You stay here on the phone to keep me up to date about the investigations." The Chief left.

* * *

><p>Chief Martin Anderson parked his car in front of the hospital. He looked at the clock. It's 9 in the morning. It's been 4 days since he told Alec to go home and take some days off. He didn't hear from him in this time, but this wasn't necessarily a reason to worry about him. Suddenly he felt guilty. Maybe if he had called him more often he wouldn't be here right now. But on the other hand, Alec never answered the calls. Anderson always had to speak the current status of the investigations on the mobile mailbox.<p>

The Chief got out of the car and walked to the reception desk of the hospital to ask in which room Alec is. Room 245. He knocked at the door.

"Please come in."

The Chief walked in. A doctor who was holding a clipboard in his hands was blocking the view to the only bed in the room. Anderson coughed slightly as nobody was paying attention to him. The doctor turned around.

"You must be Chief Inspector Martin Anderson. I was already expecting you. One of your colleagues called and told us that you're coming," the doctor said and extended his hand. "I am Doctor Michael Smith, I'm in charge of Mr. Hardy."

The Chief shook the doctors hand and surveyed him. He was tall, slim and grey-haired and wore rimless glasses. Somehow he reminded him of his own father.

Dr. Smith looked at the detective, who was obviously sleeping. An oxygen mask covered his face. "Let's go in my office. We can talk there," the doctor said a bit less noisy.

Chief Anderson followed Dr Smith into his office.

"Please, take a seat." Dr Smith pointed at one of the chairs in front of his desk. They sat down. The Chief started to talk first.

"Will he pull through?" he wanted to know. For him, this is the most important question right now.

"His current state is still critical but stable. We can say more when he's awake. He will wake up within the next few hours," the doctor answered.

"Can you tell me something about his injuries?"

"When the ambulance arrived at the park he wasn't breathing anymore. They successfully resuscitated him. He coughed up water. This and the fact that his hair was wet are the reasons why we think his head has been pressed underwater violently," Dr Smith explained.

"So you're saying that someone tried to drown him?" Anderson asked with a gravelly voice.

"That's what I'm assuming. Mr Hardy also has pressure marks on his neck. This would confirm this suspicion. Also his wrists were bloody. He was possibly handcuffed. But unfortunately that's not all. His body was deeply dehydrated. He hasn't taken in any liquids for at least three days. The same applies to solid food." Dr Smith sighed. "I'd say he has been held captive by a very cruel person."

Chief Anderson nodded. He had the same brutal thought in mind.

"Is there anything else that could help us to find the person responsible?" he asked.

"Maybe you find something on his clothes," Dr Smith said and put a plastic bag with clothes in it on his desk. The two men stood up.

"Thank you for the information, Dr Smith. Please call me when DI Hardy wakes up. I'd like to talk with him then."

"Of course I will," Dr Smith answered. They shook hands, and Chief Anderson turned around and left.

* * *

><p>"Is everyone here?" Chief Anderson looked around. Five police men and women gathered round the table in the conference room of the police station. The team seemed to be complete. "Then let us start. First thing I want you to know it that DI Hardy is alive and he's stable."<p>

Relieved sighs could be heard. "So does this mean that he will fully recover?" asked Julie Lucas, one of the youngest officers in the town.

"We're not sure about that yet. The doctor said that we have to wait until he wakes up," Anderson answered shortly.

"What happened to him actually? I mean nobody informed us about that yet." This question came from one of the older officers.

"Yes, this is the second point I wanted to tell you. It looks like Alec has been held captive. His wrists were rubbed sore and bloody. It looks like he has been handcuffed. Furthermore his body was dehydrated and he didn't have anything to eat within the last few days. When he was found in the park his hair was wet and he coughed up water. That's why we assume that his head was pressed underwater forcefully."

"Someone tried to down him?" Julie Lucas asked in disbelief.

"Yes, that's what we, Doctor Smith and I, think," the Chief confirmed.

"If you ask me, this all looks like the Rose Killer decided not to only kill girls," Sergeant Manning piped up. Chief Anderson looked at this man on his left. So he was not the only one who thought about this.

"And let us bear in mind that Alec's daughter Kate is still missing. Maybe the Rose Killer kidnapped her and then decided to abduct her father too?" Sergeant Manning continued.

"But why would he do that?" It was Julie Lucas who asked this fair question. "This makes absolutely no sense!"

"I think so too, Lucas," Chief Anderson agreed. "This definitely makes no sense. And let's not forget that we still have no proof that the Rose Killer did also kidnap Kate." He looked at his team. "It rests with us to find out what happened. Let's start with the thing we know for sure. Four days ago we found Louise Tallis in the park. She has been drowned, just like five girls ten years ago. We still assume that they all were killed by the same person, the so called Rose Killer. Then, while DI Hardy was inspecting the victim, his daughter Kate was abducted. She was in his car which he parked nearby the crime scene. He took her with him because her mother didn't come home that night. We found out that Elizabeth Hardy, the mother, flew to Paris the morning Louise Tallis was found. Oh, before I forget: Did the police in Paris already find out anything about Elizabeth?" The last question was towards Manning.

"No," the Sergeant answered. "The only information we have is that she and her travelling companion flew to Paris. They are untraceable. They don't answer calls and they never withdraw money. I've sent our French colleagues a photo of Mrs Hardy. They said that they will contact us as soon as they find them."

"Okay, this means that she remains disappeared. What happened next... ah, yes. On the same day, it was around 12 pm, I told Alec to go home and take some days off. He couldn't have helped us anyway as he's the father of a possible victim. We haven't heard of him ever since." Chief Anderson looked around. "That's all you need to know right now. Now we have to work." He stood up.

"Manning, you stay in contact with the French police. Inform me as soon as they find Mrs Hardy," he told the young Sergeant, who nodded and quickly left the room. The Chief looked at the rest of the group.

"Lucas and Warren, you try to find out what Alec did after I sent him home four days ago. Maybe he did some phone calls of went out to meet someone or something like this. Brown and Lancaster, I want you to look through all the documents we have of the murders ten years ago again. Maybe you'll find some important hints or relevant information which we haven't noticed yet."

The team immediately got down to work.

* * *

><p>"Don't you finally want to answer the call?" George asked as Elizabeth's mobile rang for the apparently fiftieth time. She looked on the display. It's always the same number.<p>

"I don't know this number. And, as you know, I never answer unknown calls. And," Elizabeth said, "no one is allowed to disturb our romantic breakfast."

"If you say so...," Georg said. He smirked. "But if you're not going to answer the calls anyway please switch off your phone."

Before Elizabeth could answer she saw two police men coming up to them. They stopped in front of them.

"Elizabeth Hardy?" the taller one of them said with an unmistakeable French accent.

"Yes?" the woman answered, "Is there a problem?"

The police man ignored her question. "You must come with us. It is important," he added as he saw Elizabeth's sceptical look which suddenly changed into worried.

"What do you mean it's important? Is there anything with my husband or daughter?" Elizabeth asked. She sounded concerned.

"I can't tell you anything about that. You will get all information at the police station." It's still the taller one who's speaking. The other one is just standing beside him.

"Fine," Elizabeth said. She stood up and took her jacket and purse.

"Wait, what about me?" asked George. He looked at Elizabeth. "Do you just leave me here like this?"

"Sorry," she said and kissed him slightly on his forehead. "I will call you when I'm finished." Then she walked with the police men.

* * *

><p>While George was waiting for Elizabeth's call he went for a walk in the inner city of Paris. He looked on his wristwatch. Elizabeth has been gone for two hours and she still didn't called. <em>What could have happened?<em>, he thought. _I bet something happened at home. Maybe her husband got suspicious when he heard her message and called the police? No, this isn't a thing he'd do. Although I wouldn't confirm that. I mean I only know the things Elizabeth told me about him. And this wasn't much."_

He fumbled in his pockets for his phone.

"Fucking shit," he said to himself as he noticed his phone wasn't there. "I'm such a bloody idiot!"

He ran back to the hotel where they were staying and found his phone on the bed table. He looked on the display.

5 missed calls.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth stepped into room 245. She looked around. There was only one bed inside this room. And in this bed was Alec, his face covered by an oxygen mask. He was still unconscious. On the right side of the bed was a machine which was constantly beeping, but on the left side was a chair. Probably for visitors. Elizabeth sat down on this chair and put her hand on his hand.<p>

"Hello Alec," she said. She knew that although he didn't react, he could possibly hear her. But she didn't know what else to say so she decided to be quiet.

She sat there for almost two hours. She held her husband's hand and stroked his hair affectionately. After a while she started to cry. She didn't cry about what she did. She didn't cry about what happened to Alec. She didn't even cry about her daughter who's still missing. That last thing was a thing she hasn't quite realised yet. She was crying about the two things which were bothering her most at that moment: the feelings of guilt and helplessness. What if she hasn't flown to Paris? What if she has stayed at home like a good wife and mother should do? All this would have never happened.

"Mrs Hardy, the visiting hours are over." Elizabeth looked up. She didn't hear that nurse coming into the room. She wiped away her tears.

"Yes, of course," she said with a still tearful voice. She stood up and stroked her husband's hair once more. Then she left the room.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


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